José Luis Torres Manano Rama Carvalho

Development of Basic Spatial Notions Through Work with Educational Robotics in the Early Childhood Education Classroom and Analysis of Qualitative Data with WebQDA Software

With the current research work, it is intended to develop basic spatial concepts (front, back, up, down, right and left) through a didactic proposal based on the use of educational robotics in the classroom of Early Childhood Education. The Roamer Robot is specifically used for the potential it offers to adapt to pupils’ needs and the characteristics of all activities. For the work in the classroom, a series of contextualised activities are presented in different types of content, which is why Roamer’s versatility as a learning tool is enhanced.

What Is Better to Study: The Printed Book or the Digital Book?: An Exploratory Study of Qualitative Nature

Several years after the incorporation of digital in educational contexts, there is little systematic knowledge about the attitudes and practices of students with regard to reading in printed and digital books. This study aims to know what the students think of the Master “Research in Teaching and Learning of Experimental, Social and Mathematical Sciences”, of the University of Extremadura - Spain (2017–2018 academic year), about the study through printed books or digital books. The design of the research is descriptive and based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis (mixed-method) of the messages of an electronic Forum in which 31 students will participate. The content analysis of the messages of the Forum has been carried out following a process of reduction, organization, coding, obtaining results and determination of conclusions, using webQDA resource, software to support the qualitative analysis of data. The quantitative findings reveal that the largest of university students continues to prefer to study from printed books. The main justifications for this option refer to the importance of making annotations on an object with a life of its own and that reading on paper allows reaching higher levels of concentration and memory through the sensory experience that its use provides.

Strengths and weaknesses of the training based on blended learning: Contributions of the permanent training advisers

With a teaching/learning model constantly revisited in Spain and in practically all Europe, innovation in the teaching practice is part of the essence of the current models of teacher training. On that premise, we have collaborated with a group of permanent training advisers to identify the most widely used training typologies. At the same time we have analysed a typology that can bring together the best features of the other two in order to fulfil the necessities of teachers. This article shows a part of that process, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the training based on blended learning and collecting the valuable contributions of professionals dedicated to these subjects. From the results we can compare the similarities between the major studies conducted up to the present and the people who implement such actions on daily basis.